Lunatic
by Solblight
Summary: Just a couple of short stories centering around the main cast of the Imperishable Night group. Non-chronological.
1. A short note

**A short note**

The following couple of short stories were originally supposed to be part of a series. However, I was sidetracked, distracted and consequently too lazy to properly finish, edit and upload it.

As such, they currently take the form of short stories, each individual from the other, independent of chronological order.

I may consider properly putting the series together once I'm done with my other work (the first chapter being simultaneously uploaded with these other stories).

… I just need to get some effort into these lazy bones…

- Solblight


	2. Peaceful Days

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Touhou characters, settings or any other original material created by ZUN or any other affiliates. All Touhou copyrights belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

**Peaceful Days**

The eager din of chairs dragging over a worn wooden floor filled the air, trumped only by the energetic chatter (read: shouting matches) of the children, vainly challenged by the lone voice of discipline.

"And remember! I need that essay in by next week! Take care! And don't get yourself hurt over the weekend-"

A tired smile broke over Kawashima Keine's dried lips as she dropped her sentence halfway and sighed defeat. It would fall on deaf ears anyway. Running a hand through her long, silvery blue hair down to her sore neck, Keine stood rubbing the back of her head contently as she watched her rowdy but beloved students file out of the classroom. A few of them turned around and waved cheery goodbyes, which she returned with as much energy she could muster.

"… Oh?" Looking down over her left shoulder, she noticed three of her girls standing about the waist of her usual navy blue dress, looking at her with knowing, mischievous looks.

"Hmmm… Saya, Aoi, Miyu, I don't recall asking you three to stay back for remedial lessons. Your grades are fine. It's Midori that needs them, although there are none today…" Keine played along in a reproachful tone.

"Hee hee… Well then, Sensei will be happy to know that for once she does not need to nag Midori to stay behind!" the middle girl, Aoi, said gleefully.

"Oh? Midori stayed behind on her own?" Keine feigned surprise, "What could that troublesome child be up to this time?" she smilingly put her hands to her hips.

"Midori is so silly!" the girl on the left, Saya, giggled, "She doesn't realise that Nee-san-" she was quickly cut off as Aoi clamped her tiny hands over Saya's equally tiny mouth, before the two tiny children broke down into a fit of giggles.

"Look! Look! She's starting!" the last girl, Miyu, pointed excitedly at the window and ran to it simultaneously. Her two friends followed, with Aoi hissing furiously, "Stupid Midori, we can totally see where you're hiding!"

Keine could not help but let a laugh escape through her smile as she followed the children. Oh dear… Sure enough, a distance away, Midori was squatting behind a sparse bush, a hand on the tree next to it to steady herself, her little body leaning out to the point where, well, she was not really hiding anymore.

Even further still was an older 'young' girl squatting about the school's garden, working away diligently with a spade, tossing weeds callously into a large basket at the side. Her long white hair, which was usually left flowing all the way down to her ankles, was laboriously done up in a tight ponytail and knotted in place with a large bow. Even still, it barely managed to clear the ground in her current position.

"…" the white-haired girl gave a fourth glance over her shoulder, prompting Midori to quickly cringe behind the tree, before resuming her work of weeding the garden, silly little Midori leaning out further than ever before once she thought the coast was clear.

"Mokou-nee totally knows she's there, doesn't she?" Miyu muffled her laugh with a hand.

"But she's pretending she can't see her!" Aoi exclaimed gleefully.

"Mokou-nee's so cool like that…" Saya said dreamily, glancing up at Keine-sensei for her opinion.

"Nnn-nnn… She's just kind," Keine gently corrected Saya before gazing back out the window.

Eventually after five minutes though, Mokou could no longer ignore little Midori, who was now on her hands and knees out in the open, still under the delusion that she was well hidden.

"Oi, I can see you, you know that right?" she announced nonchalantly over her shoulder without looking around.

"Hii! Y-You knew I was here? !" Midori got to her feet and put her hands to her mouth, all panicky.

"… Just. You were… quite hard to spot," Fujiwara no Mokou stood up and dusted off her red trousers and suspenders. They were pasted at random with odd looking red and white talismans, and upon closer examination of her hair, one would notice that her hair bow was also a similar talisman. And when she let her hair down, she would wear smaller braids made of such talismans as well.

"O-Oh…! Well… I-I did not mean to surprise you like that…" Midori said in a small voice, her face blushing deeply.

"Nah, it's alright," the Mokou turned around and placed a hand on her hip with a neutral expression, "So… What did you want to see me for?" she asked simply.

"I-I…" Midori nervously gulped before bravely exclaiming, "I just wanted to see you!"

Mokou's eyebrows shot up mildly while the three girls at the window squealed.

"… And?" the Mokou pressed on, amusement lacing her lips. Midori gave a silenced yelp and her three friends indoors nearly swooned.

"I-I-I-I… I just… I just wanted to say hello…" Midori stared hard at her feet, her hands frozen over her mouth as her face burned bright red. Her three friends gave various indications of disappointment.

"Ahh… She'll never confess to Nee-san at this rate…" Aoi pointedly groaned as she slapped a little hand to her relatively much larger forehead, "Why can't she do something as simple as just say 'I like you!' or something?" she complained as if she were much more experienced and that more daring.

Keine chuckled and, looking out the window, managed to catch the Mokou's eye. Mokou in turn blinked blankly for a bit at Keine, who resignedly shruged her shoulders. Mokou sighed in turn and shook her head a little. Be nice to her, huh… Mokou realised Keine's meaning. Ahh… Keine's students could be so troublesome at times… Mokou took several swift steps forward towards little Midori, who started tottering backwards in terrific shyness, but she was quickly stopped as Mokou knelt down on one knee before her and clamped her hands about her small shoulders.

"Hii!" Midori jumped again, her eyes gazing widely at Mokou with mixed fear and wonder, her whole body trembling rather violently in Mokou's hands.

"… Oi… You're going to die at this rate…" Mokou quipped dryly.

It was Keine's turn to slap her hand to her better proportioned forehead.

"S-Sorry…" Midori was startled by Mokou's macabre revelation, but otherwise managed to calm down a bit.

"Listen… I-I'm glad you came to say hi," Mokou smiled as warmly as she could under these awkward conditions, "I really appreciate it."

"…! Y-Yes, Mokou-onii-sama!" Midori said hopefully.

… Onii-sama…? Wait- Onii-? ! "J-Just call me Mokou, please…" Mokou sweat-dropped. D-Don't tell me…

"C-Can I call you Mokou-onii-chan?" Midori asked hopefully.

"I-I suppose…" Ah, what the heck… Man, this is starting to get bothersome…

"Yes! I will, Mokou-onii-chan!" Midori beamed.

"Hah… Alright then, I'll see you again soon," Mokou stood up and stretched backwards, exhausted from all the squatting, "Off you go," she urged gently.

"Nn! Bye bye Mokou-onii-chan!" Midori waved happily and ran out of the school gates. Mokou stood watching her, amused, before turning around expectedly at several more sets of running footsteps behind her, Saya, Miyu and Aoi running past her after Midori just as she turned.

"Bye bye Mokou-nee!" Saya greeted as usual.

"Bye bye… pfft… 'Mokou-O-nii-chan'!" Miyu imitated Midori mischievously.

"Bye bye _Darling_!" Aoi laughingly teased. Mokou's eyes widened with mild shock as Aoi rounded the corner of the school gates and into the village streets.

"… That one's going to be trouble…" she pointed after Aoi and remarked to her side as Keine drew up next to her.

"I completely agree…" Keine sighed knowingly, "She's brash and acts like the leader in the class… Honestly, I won't know what to do if they all started imitating her."

"Well… At least they're full of personality," Mokou said as she walked back to her basket of weeds.

"Mmm hmm… Were you weeding the garden, by the way?" Keine asked as she followed behind Mokou.

"Yup," Mokou picked up the basket and proceeded towards the back of the school compound.

"That's nice… Although I meant for the students to take care of the garden themselves, you know?" Keine kept pace next to Mokou, "This was supposed to be their project."

"Their project's going to be nothing but compost the way they're going about it…" Mokou quipped.

"Failure can be a harsh teacher, but it is effective," Keine said wisely, "What are you going to be doing with the weeds anyway?"

"Making compost," Mokou replied.

"… You really are spoiling them…"

"That girl, Midori…" Mokou started on something else that concerned her a bit more as they neared the shed at the back, to the side of which lay a great big pile of soil.

"What about her?" inquired Keine. Mokou stopped in her tracks and, her hands still full with her large basket, pivoted on the spot to stare Keine in the face blankly.

"… Why do these things keep happening to me?" Mokou asked.

"… Why aren't you more girly and less tomboyish, I wonder…?" Keine replied with rhetoric.

"Every year, there's at least one from each batch of your students," Mokou criticised Keine's apparent lack of interference.

"You haven't changed over the last couple of centuries…" Keine smoothly pushed the blame back.

"And it's always a girl…"  
"Lucky you…"  
"Isn't that weird?"  
"Not for you…"

"…!" Mokou's face screwed up in a difficult expression as laughter momentarily threatened to break across Keine's otherwise serene expression.

"Oi! What's that supposed to mean? !"  
"I wasn't hiding any deeper meaning in there."  
"That's why I'm asking! !"  
"What makes you think I know?"

"Because I'm asking the first such girl to have a crush on me, that's why!" Mokou dropped the basket dramatically at her feet as she crossed her arms in a pout.

"But it wasn't a crush…" Keine cocked her head to the side and placed a finger on her lip in mocked innocence, "_It was fully blossomed love_," she dreamily exaggerated.

"Gah…!" Mokou was mentally knocked out by Keine's sneak attack, Keine laughing from across her.

"Haha… Hey, Mokou…" Keine suddenly asked softly yet seriously, "What did you think of Midori… And all those other girls…?"

Mokou blinked, and suddenly the image of the more mature looking woman before her was replaced with that of a small little girl, not unlike that of Midori and her friends, her silvery hair long and soft, and her eyes large hazels, like those of deer. Closing her own crimson ones, Mokou sighed a smile before reopening her eyes, the image of a doe-eyed, young woman before her again.

"Hmph… What? You're getting jealous over your own kids?" Mokou smirked, "How shameful…"

"Hey…" Keine said, a little hurt.

"Oi, oi, you big baby…" Mokou stepped up to Keine and held the taller woman by her hands, "What is it that you want?"

Keine smiled unabashedly, "I want you to spoil me every once in awhile, just like old times."

"… Hey, what are you, four? You're several hundred years old now, act your age!" Mokou playfully scolded.

"I don't want to hear that coming from the immortal tomboy who can only get girls," Keine hit back expertly.

Mokou's expression soured into a pout again as Keine giggled. "Fine, fine, I give up!" Mokou declared, "I can never match you in jabs… Sigh… What is it that you want, _my_ _dear Keine_?" Mokou met Keine's gaze coolly.

"Like I said," Keine leaned in slyly, "I want 'Mokou-O-nii-chan' to spoil me…" she grinned.

"T'ch… _This one's_ definitely troublesome…" and Mokou inclined her head to meet Keine's kiss.


	3. Old Infrequent Acquaintances

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Touhou characters, settings or any other original material created by ZUN or any other affiliates. All Touhou copyrights belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

**Old Infrequent Acquaintances**

Men gawked. Women froze. Children gathered with hushed curiosity. The former for her beauty. The second for her rare public appearance. And the last for her otherworldly aura.

As she walked the dim evening streets, her long black hair flowed behind her, almost like a second, rich silk cape to complement the one she already donned around her slender shoulders and neck. Her robes, colours of cherry blossoms, hibiscus with golden acacia embroidery, billowing in the dull winter wind.

Stopping suddenly but not abruptly, her walnut eyes slowly gazed up as gentle snowfall appeared all around her out of thin air. Holding out a smooth, pale hand from her robes, she watched with mild interest as little dots of white fell upon her palm, the crowd around her watching her in turn, enthralled. Turning around, she spoke in a quiet but clear voice, "Eirin, we must hurry. The snowfall will get heavier in the night."

"I concur, Kaguya," suddenly everyone's attention was snapped to the presence of a second person. It was not that her presence was so insignificant before her master's. It was just… so much more different. And darker. If Houraisan Kaguya was the brilliant, near side of the moon, then Yagokoro Eirin was the far side. Her eyes and hair were a luminous, dusty silver, the former gleaming with withheld genius, the latter done in a single large braid down her back. She donned a simpler brown silk cloak, her attire consisted of her usual tight blouse and pencil skirt of alternating reds and blues, modified with long sleeved shirts and stockings beneath for the colder weather. While Kaguya gave off a lofty yet warm aura, Eirin's was sharp and precise like a scalpel. With one glance about the two of them, Eirin made the staring crowd feel unwanted and dispersed them with ease.

"… Then let us go," resumed Kaguya once she was satisfied that they were free to mind their own business again, "Or I will not be able to purchase my favourite sweets before sundown," she complained as they started off for the sweet shop.

"… Kaguya … There was no need for you to accompany me on a simple grocery run," Eirin remarked.

"… Are you still on that? If I were to recall, a person of your stature doesn't often do such things either," Kaguya shot back, "Don't you usually sent Reisen or Tewi or some other rabbit to do these things?"

"Yes, well, you weren't there with them, were you?" Eirin explained.

"… I greatly appreciate your concern for my safety, Eirin," Kaguya stopped again and said to Eirin sincerely, "I really feel that much more secure to have you around," she confided to her closest servant and personal doctor and guardian, who she had for centuries already regarded as her own elder sister.

"It's not your safety that I fear for," replied her closest servant unreservedly, "You know that you're a pain to look after, right?"

"Haha… I know, I know…" Kaguya smiled and started off again, "I- Ah…"

"What's wrong?" following Kaguya's cue, Eirin stopped for the third time. Before them was a two storied, old wooden building of traditional construction, with the living quarters on the second floor and the desired sweet shop on the first.

Before the shop was Fujiwara no Mokou.

The white haired girl was likewise halted in her conversation with the shopkeeper, and was now staring at Kaguya with a slight uncertain expression, an expression mirrored upon Kaguya's face itself.

"A-Ah! Eirin-sama!" the shopkeeper, upon seeing the renowned doctor of Eintei, anxiously but gingerly approached the sharp looking woman. Mokou and Kaguya stepped to the side to leave the middle-aged woman alone with Eirin as she brought up her pleas, "Please, you must help me! My son… The village doctors say that he is done with nothing but a cold, and yet none can cure him! He has been sick for-"

"Is he in the house?" Eirin asked to the point.

"Yes! … But-" the shopkeeper suddenly became hesitant and even more anxious.

"Let me see him then."  
"E-Eirin-sama… I-I know it is rude of me, seeing as I sought your help first but-"

"We were thinking of buying sweets, the princess and I," Eirin's expression softened at this point, "I'm wondering if I manage to cure your son, will you let us take some sweets home for free?" she settled the question of payment before it was even brought up.

"Hah…! Th-Thank you!" the shopkeeper bowed gratefully, "Thank you! I-"

"Let us not wait for his illness to worsen."

"Y-Yes! Right this way!" and the shopkeeper led Eirin into the store up to the second floor, but not before Eirin glanced back at Kaguya and Mokou for a second with a small, knowing smile.

_You two be good now_.

… Kaguya and Mokou, who were spectators up till now, suddenly found themselves alone on the streets, snowflakes falling about them, Their eyes met as they turned to look at the other and they quickly averted gazes, the awkwardness between them growing as steadily as the snowfall.

"W-We had better get out of the snow," suggested Kaguya.

"R-Right…" and Mokou and Kaguya headed into the sweet shop to take shelter.

* * *

"Haah… It's really getting colder isn't it?" Once inside, Kaguya undid her cloak a little and, after breathing into her hands, rubbed them together to warm up a little. She and Mokou were alone in the sweet shop, with sounds of coughing and Eirin's muffled voice indicating that the doctor was indeed seeing the patient upstairs. Down on the ground level, the shop was cramped neatly with loose stands and shelves bearing packages, boxes and tubs of various kinds of snacks: baked and deep fried, made of toffee and glutinous rice. Beyond doors ajar in the back, the manufacturing area could be glimpsed, were containers of rock sugars, fillings, pastes and flour stood around. The air itself was slightly dusted with fine sugar.

Mokou could not resist but stick out her tongue and swiftly, literally lick the air.

"Eheh…"  
"Wh-What…? !"

Mokou, blushing, glared sheepishly at Kaguya. Kaguya, smiling warmly, closed her eyes and, craning out her neck, imitated Mokou, sticking out her tongue to taste the air. Mokou cleared her throat and turned away to hide her embarrassment.

Damn Kaguya, acting cute at times…!

"That's what I really love about this shop. Not for its age as one of the oldest and most established, nor for its reputation of its sweets, but for its atmosphere," Kaguya suddenly said, "It really is like a candy land from my childhood here," she looked at Mokou with smiling eyes.

"But you don't come out often, let alone to the human village," Mokou pointed out as she joined the sudden casual conversation, all awkwardness between them swept under the rug.

Kaguya shook her head, "Nnn-nnn… I can just imagine the place as I eat its sweets," she looked around the shop fondly.

"Then all the more you should come out more often," Mokou crossed her arms, "One day, you may find the place to be different from how you imagined it. You may… find it to have changed," she said a little sadly.

Kaguya gave Mokou a blank stare, a mask to hide her emotions about the fates that awaited them, the three of them.

Herself, Mokou and Eirin.

"I guess you're right," she smiled after awhile, "I will come out more often, thank you. But ah… My status is still that of a fugitive of the moon you know? Even though in reality they've given up hunting for me…" Kaguya mused.

"Well, you'll have Eirin to protect you, right?" Mokou said.

"Actually I was hoping _you _would promise to protect me," Kaguya unabashedly said, to which Mokou responded with a dry look.

"Only if the trouble comes to this village," Mokou put forth her conditions.

"Oh, Mokou-chan… You're so cruel…" Kaguya flirted.

"… Call me in that tone again and I'll blast your head off," Mokou half-feigned a death threat.

"… Heh…? It's been too long since we had a danmaku battle to the death, huh?" Kaguya suddenly became serious as well, and met Mokou's glare with a steely one of her own. For awhile the two kept staring at each other, a shadow of long forgotten animosity suddenly firing up in their guts.

Unusually however, it was Mokou that backed out from this particular conflict, "No…" she shook her head and looked away, "No more fights. We… promised, didn't we? That night…" her jaws grimaced, "I no longer want to-"

"Mokou…" at a gentle touch of her hand, Mokou looked up and was more startled by Kaguya's sudden appearance right before her, their noses almost touching.

"Hah…! K-Kaguya...?"  
"Thank you," Kaguya smiled.

Mokou leaned away uncomfortably, but otherwise remained where she was, her embarrassment colouring her face red. "F-For what?" she asked.

"For being nice for a change," Kaguya teased.

"H-Hey…!"

"So!" Kaguya stepped back and turned away, her gaze wandering the shop once more. A pause.

"How's Keine?"

"…" Mokou tensed up. It was a simple question, but the obvious effort that Kaguya had to put into asking it just to make it sound casual… No, the fact that she was even _trying _to make it sound that way… "Oh she's fine," Mokou momentarily felt disgust at herself. "_We're_ both fine," Momentarily, before being taken up, scrunched up and cruelly thrown away.

She _did _make the choice after all. She chose Keine. She had no right to feel guilty.

"I see…" a longer pause followed those two words before Kaguya turned back to face Mokou, still smiling, "That's good to hear," she said simply.

"Thanks," Mokou returned sincerely.

"Honestly though," Kaguya began slyly, "With the way you two are, and after being together under one roof for so long, I'm surprised the two of you are not married yet!" at which Mokou began choking with embarrassment, Kaguya giggling with delight at her handiwork.

"Things are fine as they are…" Mokou murmured.

"It won't be so difficult," Kaguya continued mischievously, "Just grab a shrine maiden to bless the two of you. Reimu, or even her disciple or Sanae-"

"Reimu will just deadpan and say 'There's no need for the two of you to make official what already is' or… or something like that…" Mokou trailed off in a tiny voice.

A moment of silence. Kaguya's eyes were as wide as full moons and brimming with amusement. Mokou's face was a giant haw candy.

"You've tried? !" Kaguya stifled her sniggers.

"K-KEINE TRIED! !" Mokou roared as Kaguya bended over in pain, her uncontrollable laughter reverberating around the sweet shop.

"… What's going on?" Mokou and Kaguya looked up towards the staircase which Eirin was descending, "It's great to see the two of you getting along so well, but please, there are sick upstairs that need rest."

"S-Sorry." "Sorry, Eirin." Mokou and Kaguya both apologised.

"So how did it go?" Kaguya inquired about the shopkeeper's son.

"He'll make a full recovery soon as long as my prescriptions are followed," Eirin explained, "I only had my general purpose relief medicine on me, so I was unable to do anything immediately, but I'll send Reisen over with the medicine once I've prepared it at Eintei."

"Really? That's good to hear," Kaguya said, "And the shopkeeper is with her son?"

Eirin nodded, "She also says we're welcomed to help ourselves to as much sweets as we want," she smiled.

"That's dangerous, not quoting a definite amount…" Mokou quipped with a glance aimed at Kaguya.

"Don't worry, we have _Mokou-san_ here to make sure no villager is taken advantage of," Kaguya pouted resentfully at the implied accusation.

"Then I'll take my leave first," Eirin headed for the door, "I must hurry to prepare the medicine, or it'll be too dark and cold for Reisen to make the delivery."

"Alright, I'll be right with you," Kaguya said, and with a confirmatory look, Eirin headed outside.

"Eirin's amazing as usual," Mokou complimented offhandedly, "The shopkeeper was telling me earlier that no doctor could cure her son."

"No doctor here's a genius like her," Kaguya huffed with pride, "Not for centuries."

"That's got to be convenient to have as a servant," Mokou commented as Kaguya followed after Eirin.

"It sure is," Kaguya replied, and began heading out the door. It was right at that moment however, the image of Kaguya's long flowing hair leaving through the doorway, that Mokou's guilt came back to overwhelm her.

"K-Kaguya-nee?" her hesitantly but steadily called out.

Kaguya spun so fast back through the doorway that she was a blur, "Y-Yes? !" she blurted in a shocked and uncertain manner.

Mokou could not help but grin at Kaguya's break down of composure, "I-I've burdened you," she apologised.

Kaguya's stunned expression melted away to warmth, "Well… _I've _sinned, so I guess that makes us even," she replied cordially, before closing her eyes, "No… I still owe youa little, I think," she opened left eye in a reversed wink.

"Pay me back then," Mokou joked.

"Call me 'Kaguya-nee' again and I'll consider," Kaguya teased back.

"Sorry, but this is the last time I'll revive this forgotten habit of mine," Mokou good-naturedly placed her hands in her pockets.

The two stood for awhile, Kaguya at the door and Mokou in the middle of the shop floor, looking at each other with conveyed nostalgia.

"Well, I must get going," Kaguya gave a gentle goodbye.

Mokou simply nodded.

And the two parted ways for the night.


	4. Courage

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Touhou characters, settings or any other original material created by ZUN or any other affiliates. All Touhou copyrights belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

**Courage**

A door was banged shut to keep a young, silver-green haired, doe-eyed girl out as an older girl, in her anxiety, roughly steered another diminutive girl with shoulder length purple locks by the shoulders against a wall. A rather audible thud was heard, and the purple haired girl did cringe, but otherwise maintained a steady and neutral gaze with the blazing pair of crimson eyes before her.

"Akyuu! !" breathlessly demanded Mokou of the purple haired girl which she was mercilessly shoving into the wall, "Do you mean to say that…? !"

"Mokou-san, you're hurting me," the one named Akyuu calmly stated in a light, firm voice, her clear violet eyes remaining fixed on Mokou's.

Fujiwara no Mokou froze at Akyuu's analysis, although her grip remained eagle-like on Akyuu's small and slender shoulders, forcing Akyuu to allow herself a small grunt of pain. After a few steadying breaths however, Mokou did eventually regain control of herself, and she hastily let go of Akyuu and backed away.

"S-Sorry Akyuu-san," she panted, still shocked at her previous aggression, "I-I…"

"It's alright, Mokou-san…" Hieda no Akyuu stepped forward and laid a gentle hand on her assailant's shoulder, "I understand that such information can be quite a shock. I know that you'll have... many things about her to consider now," her eyes intently studied Mokou's face.

"Ah… Y-Yes… Of course…" Mokou averted Akyuu's knowing gaze.

* * *

Outside the shut screen doors, all young Kawashima Keine could hear were hushed, sometimes hurried sounding voices. But she took little notice of this as she looked with empty loathing at her bushy tail she had in her hands.

"They're discussing what to do with me," she murmured factually, her little horns on her head feather light compared to the eerily calm heaviness in her heart. It was only natural after all. To be dumped, pushed out after her affliction was discovered. Her blank stare turned to the night beyond the porch, where the full moon hung low and gloomy. Tears welled up in her eyes.

… And yet, why does she dread it so much this time round?

"I… I don't want to leave…" Keine whispered to herself, her little body shaking with hate at itself.

* * *

"So… It's true then?" Mokou sat curled against the wall a nervous distance from the only chair there was in the room, which Akyuu had seated herself on at Mokou's insistence.

Actually, to call it a room would be inaccurate. It was a shack, where stuffed in it were a small writing desk with said chair, a small chest of drawers. Half the room was occupied by a wooden platform barely enough for a half and one persons, with a rolled up futon on top and sliding panels concealing storage beneath. On the table there was a tarnished candle holder fixed in place by habit, the only bit of table not worn by age hidden beneath its battered metal. It was from the candle within this lone candle holder that light was cast around the room. It was far from adequate, but there was nothing to illuminate anyway.

"… She has been living here with you?" Akyuu observed the room impartially. In the course of her centuries' long compilation of the Gensokyo Chronicles, she had long since learned not to judge a household by the house. There was warmth in this place, humble though it is. There was love and care between the two girls here, that much was clear when she first saw them.

She sincerely hoped her revelation of Keine's nature would not change that.

"… What?" Mokou snapped from where she sat, her face partly obscured behind her drawn up knees, "You're going to tell me this is no place to raise a kid?"

"Well, it certainly isn't the best place-"

"I grew up here," Mokou added defensively, "It's as good a place as any so long as I'm here to protect her."

"… Forgive me for implying otherwise," Akyuu smiled warmly at Mokou, catching her off guard.

" … So then…" Mokou began hesitantly, but was immediately interrupted by Akyuu.

"First off, let me just say that I know who you are," Akyuu stared blankly at Mokou, her declaration eliciting a small gasp from Mokou, who quickly recovered.

"Uh huh… So you're another one of those people who heard the rumours and believe them?" Mokou asked casually, "The 'Possesed Girl of the Bamboo Forests', is that it?"

"No… I don't hear rumours, I only chronicle facts," Akyuu stated simply, and this time Mokou's gasp was much more audible.

"T'ch… 'Hieda'… I was wondering why that name sounded so familiar…" Mokou gazed away at her feet, "I should have recognised you when you introduced yourself," Mokou turned back to Akyuu.

"So you've heard the rumours then?" Akyuu cheekily returned.

"Enough," Mokou simply replied, before chuckling, "What are the odds? Two immortals in one room."

Akyuu shook her head, "No, not immortal. Not in the same way as you," she looked at Mokou with great scholarly interest.

Mokou too studied the form of a young girl before her, her body ethereally youthful yet somehow already fragile looking, as if it will shatter into dust within her yellow kimono, "…And this is your…?"

"Sixth reincarnation," Akyuu answered.

Mokou blinked once before going back to staring at the ground at her feet, "I see… So the rumours _are _true."

"They aren't rumours you know," Akyuu corrected her, "For centuries, my ancestors- No… _I _have been working on the compiled history of Gensokyo," she said, "It is the duty of the Child of Miare after all."

"And… that's how you came to know about _her_?" Mokou asked, her gaze turning to the shut screen doors as she imagined a lonely girl sitting outside. Her heart became tugged with more guilt than anxiety, yet still she must know… "Your great history record?"

"No," Akyuu corrected her a second time, "Her nature is rooted in legends far older than Gensokyo and indeed, all the land. No… Her legends are simply very old stories," Akyuu explained, "Folk tales that people know, but seem not to recognise when they actually see it before them."

"I supposed you would be surprised to see a girl rather than some great, hairy beast," Mokou said bitterly, "What makes me sick is that I think they would actually welcome a beast more than her!"

"If only because people are ignorant and only accept what they expect," Akyuu indifferently observed, "But there is something else on your mind, isn't there…?" she probed.

Mokou looked up, her face full of guilty hope.

* * *

"Haku… taku…" that's what the purple haired lady called her, thought Keine. She had said that the blood of it flowed through her veins.

… What does it even mean? Keine stopped staring at her palms before her and shook her head. No, I don't care anymore, she thought. As much as she hated it, she would have to leave eventually, she reasoned to herself. Mokou-nee-chan would not want her around now that she saw her youkai-half.

"_If you'll like, you can come live with me."_

Keine clapped her face to her eyes and wept. Mokou-nee-chan had taken her in out of kindness after seeing her being ostracised and mistreated by the villagers, without even knowing why…! And… And now that she knows, she'll definitely-

"_Don't worry, you're safe here. It's not notorious for nothing you know, this bamboo forest…"_

Keine swallowed and forced herself to stop crying. No, this past few years were the happiest of her life. Mokou-nee-chan had been very kind to her, but if she stayed, she'll only cause Mokou-nee-chan trouble.

"I'll have to leave," she said to herself, as if to convince herself of her determination to do so. She'll go quietly, make it as though it never happened. Yes… she once learned that she had the ability to wipe memories, even create false ones when the moon was up. She had used it to relief herself of the persecution every now and then, even though this very sorcery was what helped reinforced that persecution…

"I'll go quietly, and the next day Mokou-nee-chan will just forget-"

Then little Keine's composure crumbled, and she cried.

* * *

"She can… eat history?" Mokou tried to repeat the words as disinterestedly as she could.

"Yes, she can hide history, so to speak," Akyuu answered, "It is one of the many abilities of the divine beast known as a Hakutaku. Of course, a true Hakutaku has many, many more abilities, some on par with that of certain gods," she continued enthusiastically, as if giving a lecture to a student, "It _was _a Hakutaku after all that contributed to the beginning of this very civilization," Akyuu gestured a hand about her. "Of course, Keine is only a distantly related descendant, so she only has a fraction of its powers. Even then, they only fully manifest under certain conditions," Akyuu explained.

"Like under a full moon?" Mokou raised her eyebrows.

"Yes. As is common with many other sorts of magic and mysteries, a full moon-" Akyuu jumped as she was interrupted by a low but sinister sounding chuckle. Looking at Mokou, she saw the broken spirit of a former human.

"Hehehe… Hahahahaha…! !" Mokou laughed, "Ah… So that's how it is…"

"Um… Is there something funny…?" Akyuu asked, slightly perturbed.

"No no… just ironic…" Mokou chuckled some more. "Hey, Akyuu-san…" her red eyes narrowed at the purple haired girl wryly, "If you know my story, you should know how I gained this accursed immortality of mind, right?"

Akyuu stared at Mokou, surprised at her question, before giving a chuckle of her own, "I heard it was from the moon that you got it," she grinned sadly, "Or rather, from a visitor from the moon."

Mokou leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, smiling, "The moon was my curse for so many centuries… Now it'll be my salvation-"

Mokou opened her eyes coolly as Akyuu had suddenly gotten up with on her feet, having slammed the table with her hand unconsciously at the same time. Her face was one of anger and disapproval.

"Keine can eat when the moon's not around… How about when it _is_?" Mokou continued, undisturbed.

"She can change it," Akyuu, out of habit, answered shortly.

"Mmmm…" Mokou leaned her back against the wall with her eyes closed again.

"Mokou-san…"

"I can't believe that such a miracle was right next to me all this time…" Mokou murmured, eyes still closed, a nearly insane smile stretched over her face. All this time… All this time…

"Mokou-san…!"

"I wonder if she can go back to before it all happened…" Mokou whispered longingly.

"Mokou!"

"Or better yet, undo my birth-"

Slap!

Mokou blinked blankly as her she found her head turned towards the door. She felt the sting on her cheek where Akyuu had struck her, and the presence of Akyuu kneeling next to her on the other side, beyond her vision.

"… Well that hurt-"

"Irresponsible!" Akyuu yelled.

Mokou slowly turned towards Akyuu, expressionless, while Akyuu remained kneeling there, panting form the exertions she had made.

"Going back so far… to change history…" Akyuu seethed, "Is dangerous…! It can have drastic… effects on the countless events that have happened…!"

"Is that your main concern-"

"But more importantly!" Akyuu continued angrily, "Do you really want to force such a burden on to Keine? !"

Mokou's eyes widened with shock.

"Keine's a girl who has faced many difficulties in her life, and now you want to force what is effectively murder on to her? ! The erasing of the existence of someone precious to her? !"

Mokou drew herself up against the wall, her eyes unable to look away from Akyuu's furious ones.

"Was that what you had in mind when you took her from the village? ! Did you protect her just so you can use her? !" Akyuu kept up.

Mokou could only wordlessly shake her head against the accusation.

"Who will protect Keine if _you_ disappear? !"

Mokou stared silently at a trembling Akyuu, an uneasy silence now dominating the room. Her attention however, was soon drawn to the door, where the sound of crying could be heard. She gasped.

"Hah… hah… I don't know… what the relationship between the two of you really is like," Akyuu took in deep breaths as Mokou's eyes were now frozen on the door, the crying persistent, "But I can tell that she holds you dearly-"

Mokou was already up on her feet and out the door.

"… Heh…" Akyuu shook her head, smiling, "Yup, I can tell…" and she began to formulate ideas on how to educate Mokou to better care for Keine, to prepare them for the rest of their lives together…

* * *

"Keine!"

Keine startled and turned at her name being called. It was Mokou-nee-chan…! She hurriedly got off the porch and blindly started dashing barefooted towards the woods. It's now or never-

"Keine! !" Mokou caught up to her with ease and grabbed the little crying girl by her shoulders.

"Ah…! L-Let me go!" Keine struggled.

"Why? ! Where are you going? !" Mokou yelled out, anxious.

"Away from here! !" Keine shouted back.

"Keine! Listen! !" Mokou turned Keine around and gave the little girl a shake, and Keine fell quiet for awhile and stared up at Mokou fearfully. "Wh-Why are you running away...? !" Mokou asked chokingly.

"You know what I really am like now!" Keine grimaced, "You saw my affliction! And now you'll definitely hate-"

Slap!

Keine was shocked into silence. "M-Mokou-nee…?" was all she could shakily utter.

"Just… Just imparting some wisdom given to me," Mokou tearfully bit down on her lower lip.

It was Keine's turn to grow all anxious at the sight of Mokou crying. "M-Mokou-nee-chan…?" she reached up and gently stroked the side of Mokou's hair, "I… I'm sorry, I- Mokou-nee? !" she jumped as Mokou had lurched to embrace her tightly.

"I'm so sorry Keine!" Mokou wept, "Please forgive me! !"

"M-Mokou-nee…? F-For what-"

"Don't leave me, okay?" Mokou whispered into Keine's ear, "I won't ever, ever want you to, so please, please don't leave me!" she pleaded.

"I'll… I'll protect forever! !"

Keine's eyes widened with wonder and swarmed with tears again, "I-I don't want to!" she bawled, "I never wanted to, Mokou-nee-chan! I want to stay with you forever! I… I…!" Keine broke down again, but this time she had the comfort of crying into her beloved Mokou's shoulder.

Mokou closed her eyes and smiled as she hugged her precious Keine tight, the moon and the stars in the sky as their only witnesses in the darkness of the night. Tears continued to stream down from beneath her eyelids.

Several lifetimes of stupidity… Just how close did she came to adding yet another mistake this night…?


End file.
